Apparatus for filling capsules



May 16, 1M4. v. B. NORELLI APPARATUS FOR FILLING CAPSULES 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 50 May 16, 1944.- v B, NoELu 2,348,749

APPARATUS FOR FILLING CAPSULES Filed June 30, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 16, 1944 UNITED STATES FATENT QFFICE APPARATUS FOR FILLING CAPSULES Vincent B. Norelli, Arlington, Va.

Application June 30, 1941, Serial No. 400,512 Claims. (Cl. 225-41) This invention relat to apparatus for filling simultaneously a plur :y of capsules.

[an object of this invention is to provide an apnaratus suitable ior use in pharmacies and drug houses for conveniently fill ng a number of capsules to make them ready for administration.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatusof the type described in which the charge of powder for each capsule is readily and. quickly measured.

The apparatus of this invention includes a cylinder block providing a plurality of substantially horizontal cylinders and comprising a lower part having plurality of horizontal grooves therein, said grooves having a depth substantially greater than the depth of said cylinders, and a complementary upper part having a plurality of tongues complementary to said grooves and depending therein, sa d tongues interlocking with said grooves to provide said plurality of substantially horizontal cylinders, a discharge port for each cylinder in the vertical face of said block, means for holding a capsule bottom in filling engagement with of said cylinder discharge ports and means for simultaneously discharging powdered material from said cylinders through said ports into said capsule bottoms.

The means for holding the capsule bottoms in filling engagement with said cylinder discharge ports cooperates with a mechanism for removing, holding and replacing the tops of said capsules.

In the drawings:

l is a plan view of the apparatus, partly broken away;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1, also partly broken away;

Fig. 8 is a left side elevation of the apparatus of Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the lower part of the cylinder block showing a comb positioned in the grooves;

Fig. 5 is a partial pla view. enlarged, of the capsule-bottom holding mechanism; 7

Fig. 6 is a bottom View of a portion of the capsule-top holding device on the same scale as Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a front elevation, partly broken away. of the elements of Figs. 5 and 6 assembled and showing capsules in position therein;

8 is a left-hand side elevation of the assembly shown in Fig. 7;

Fig. Q is a reduced plan view of the apparatus mounted upon a carrying or storage box; and

Fig. 10 is a right-hand side View of the apparatus shown in S.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3. l is the cylinder block composed of lower part 22 and complementary upper part The capsule-bottom holding' mechanism. 3 is shown laid on its side with the capsules 5 in filling relation to the cylinders 6. Each cylinder is provided with a piston I connected by piston rod 3 to piston bar ii. As best shown in Fig. 3, piston 9 is to the top of box if: by means of screw ii and bushing i2. Conveniently. the screw is provided with a Winged head Also afiixed to the box top are rails id upon which the cylinder block assembly slides. These rails are engaged by slots i3 formed in the bottom part of the cyiinder block. With th s ar; .ngenient. the cylinder hlcci: sembly may be reciprocated with respect to the piston assembly to force powdered material contained in cylinders 8 through discharge ports I into capsule bottoms 5.

The capsule-hottom holding mechanism is provided with trunnions i5 jOl rnalled in slides ii. Slide i'l provided w th overturned flanges i6 and recipzocable catch l5 which engages trunnion iii to rec n the capsulabottorn holdins mechanism journalled in the slide. -lidins catch 19 is reciprocable in slide ll and its movement is limited by pin 26: cooperating with slot 2!. Slide 5'! is afiixed to the bottom part of the cylinder block by means of screws and 23, which latter is provided with knurled head These two screws are horizontally disposed and engage slot of the slide. retaining the latter in horizontal position. The capsule-bottom iolding mechanism may be reciprocated with respect to the cylinder block by adius 'ment of slides l! and may be rotated in the lit. provided by slides ll so as to change the position of the capsules from vertical to horizontal. as desired.

The bottom part 2 of .he cylinder hlock provided with a plurality of grooves ravin a depth substantially great than the d or diameter of cylinders E. The uncer part 3 of the cylinder block is provided wz: tongues El which engage with grooves 25 to provide said cy inders when the two of the cylinder block are closed. The upper part of ihe cylinder bloclr is hinged to the lot-yer part along the back by means of hinges it.

The movement of the cylinder block. assembly with respect to the piston assembly is limned by screws 29 affixed to the back part of the cylinder block and slidable through piston bar 9.

Springs 39 tend to maintain the cylinder block assembly in a position away from the piston bar 9 as shown in Fig. 1.

Referring to Figs. 5 to 8 which show the capsule-holding apparatus, 3| is the base or frame of the capsule-bottom holding mechanism. Recesses 32 are provided in the base for the reception of the rounded end of the capsule bottom. The open top of th capsule bottom is engaged by a gripping mechanism 33 comprising an upper plate 34 having turned-over flanges 35 which engage a lower plate 36. The diameter of the holes 37 in the upper and lower plates is substantially equal to the outside diameter of the capsule bottom. Between the upper and lower plates is a slide 38 provided with corresponding holes 39 having a diameter slightly larger than the diameter of holes 31. This slide is laterally reciprocable between plates 34 and 36 and its holes 39 working in cooperation with holes 31 in the upper and lower plates serve to grip a capsule bottom and to hold it securely in capsule-gripping mechanism 33. Reciprocation of slide 38 is effected by handle 43.

Sliding plate 38 is provided with projections 4| which engage the under surface of plate 42 affixed to the top of fram 31 by screws 43 to prevent the capsule-gripping mechanism from being forced out of the frame by spring 44 which tends to keep the capsule-gripping means 33 in raised position. Pin 45 is provided to maintain alignment of the capsule-bottom holding mechanism with the cylinder block when in the position shown in Fig. 1. Pin 45 engages socket 46 to maintain proper alignment.

Fig. 6 is a bottom view of the capsule-top holding device, shown assembled with the capsulebottom holding mechanism in Figs. 7 and 8. A base 4'! is provided with holes 48 of substantially the same diameter as the capsule top. To the bottom of this base is secured a plate 49, by means of screws 50, having holes 5! of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter of a capsule-bottom. A hood 52 is pivotally attached to base plate 41 by means of pivot screws 53 permitting rotation of the hood about the axis of the pivot. Plate 49 is further provided with pins 54 engaging recesses 55 in the capsule-bottom retaining device.

Fig. 9 is a plan view showing the apparatus mounted on top of a carrying or storage box [0 in operative position and Fig. 10 is a right-hand side elevation of the assembly shown in Fig. 9. The box is provided with a top hinged by means of hinge 53 along parting line 51.

In operation, beginning with the apparatus assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the capsule-bottom holding mechanism is slid away from the cylinder block after loosening knurled screws 23. The

capsule-bottom holding mechanism is then rotated 90 degrees clockwise, as shown in Fig. 3, to present the openings 31 upwardly. Assuming there are no capsules in the apparatus, the capsule-top holding device is then placed upon the capsule-bottom holding mechanism, as shown in Fig. 7, and the hood 52 is rotated to one side. A complete capsule, i. e., comprising top and bottom assembled, is inserted in each of the holes 48 in the capsule-top holding device, the bottom of the capsules projecting downwardly through holes 31 and 39 in the capsule-bottom retaining mechanism. The hood 52 then is rotated to a vertical position to cover the tops of the capsules, as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Each capsule rests in sule top upon the ledge formed by plate 49 and hole 48 in the capsule-top holding device. The capsule bottoms depend through holes 31 in the capsule bottom gripping mechanism but do not rest in recesses 32. Knob is moved to cause the capsule bottom gripping mechanism to grip the capsule bottoms. The capsule-top holding device is next removed, together with the capsule tops. The pressure gripping the capsule-bottoms is released and the bottoms are pushed down in the capsule-bottom holding mechanism until they are seated in recesses 32, and thereafter the capsule-gripping mechanism is again set to grip the capsule bottoms and hold them firmly in the capsule-bottom holding mechanism.

The cylinder block is opened by laying back the upper part 3 on hinges 28. The base of the capsule-bottom holding mechanism is faced toward the vertical face of the bottom part of the cylindei' block and the two surfaces are engaged by movement of slides l'l toward the block I after loosening knurled screws 23, the latter screws being then tightened. Comb 53 is inserted in the bottom part on the cylinder block, as shown in Fig. 4, its distance from the front thereof being determined by the amount of powder required to be filled into each capsule. The powder is then filled into the troughs provided in grooves 26 between comb 58 and the base of the capsule-bottom holding mechanism. Any excess powder projecting above the grooves is removed by means of any suitable scraper. Comb 58 is then removed and the upper half of the cylinder block is hinged back into closed position, thereby compressing and distributing the powder into a substantially cylindrical mass within the cylinders.

' is pressed into filling position, as shown in Fig. l,

' gaged with the capsule bottoms.

the assembly with the bottom edge of the cape NoW, the capsule-bottom holding mechanism is loosened and rotated to bring the openings of the capsule-bottoms in line with discharge ports T. and the capsule-bottom holding mechanism where it is retained by tightening screws 23.

The cylinder block assembly is next reciprocated with respect to the piston bar and piston assembly whereby the powdered material is forced into the capsule bottoms.

The apparatus of this invention permits the equal distribution of a measured quantity of powder between a predetermined number of capsules thereby assuring that each capsule receives a known quantity of powder as required by the particular problem at hand.

After filling, the capsule-bottom holding mechanism is slid outwardly and turned so that the capsules are in vertical position, open ends up. The capsule-top holding device containing the tops is then assembled to the capsule-bottom holding mechanism, as shown in Fig. 7. The gripping force of the capsule-bottom retaining mechanism is relieved by manipulation of knob 43. By applying pressure to the top of hood 52 the capsule-topholding device, together with the capsule-bottom gripping mechanism, is forced downwardly in frame 3! against the force of springs 44 whereby the capsule tops are enof this pressure, springs 44 return the elements thus depressed to their original positions. The capsule-top holding device is disengaged from the capsule-bottom holding mechanism and removed, carrying with it the filled capsules which are removed therefrom by rotating the hood 52 to one side and inverting the capsule-top holding device.

Alternative operating techniques will be apparent to a skilled operator, the procedure described hereinbefore being merely exemplary of one method of operation.

The capsule-filling device herein described is adaptable to fill capsules having a diameter from somewhat larger to considerably smaller than the diameter of the discharge openings in the cylinder block, but each size of capsule requires a corresponding bottom-holding mechanism and top-holding device which may be provided as alternative elements of the apparatus.

The carrying or storage box In is made sufficiently large to accommodate the capsule-filling apparatus together with auxiliary equipment such as alternative capsule-holding elements, a comb, a scraper, a brush and the like.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for simultaneously filling a plurality of capsules with powdered material which comprises, a cylinder block providing a plurality of substantially horizontal cylinders and comprisin'g'a; lower part having a plurality of horizontal grooves therein, said grooves having a depth substantially greater than the depth of said cylinders, and a complementary upper part having a" plurality of tongues complementary to said grooves and depending therein, said tongues interlocking with said grooves to provide said plurality of substantially horizontal cylinders, a discharge port for each cylinder in a vertical face of said block, means for holding a capsule bottom in filling engagement with each of said cylinder discharge ports, and means for simultaneously discharging powdered material from said cylinders through said ports and into said capsule bottoms.

2. An apparatus for simultaneously filling a plurality of capsules with powdered material which comprises a cylinder block providing a plurality of substantially horizontal cylinders and comprising a lower part having a plurality of horizontal grooves therein. said grooves having a depth substantially greater than the depth of said cylinders, and a complementary upper part having a plurality of tongues complementary to said grooves and depending therein, said tongues interlocking with said grooves to provide said plurality of substantially horizontal cylinders. a discharge port for each cylinder in a vertical face of said block, means for holding a capsule bottom in filling engagement with each of said plurality of two-part capsules which comprises a capsule-bottom holding mechanism and a complementary capsule-top holding device, said capsule-bottom holding mechanism comprising a. frame including a base supporting the capsulebottcms and side members upon said base, an element disposed between said side members, said element comprising spaced parallel plates having spaced aligned holes embracing the sidewalls of a capsule-bottom and a slidable plate between said parallel plates having corresponding holes in alignment with the holes in said parallel plates, spring means biasing said element away from said base, and stop means on said side members restraining movement of said element away from said base, said capsule-top holding device comprising an elongated member provided with capsule-top embracing holes having inturned shoulders at their lower openings and spaced at intervals corresponding to the spacing of said capsule-bottom embracing holes, and a hood pivoted upon said elongated memher for engaging the closed ends of capsule-tops.

4. .A device for simultaneously filling a plurality of capsules with powdered material which comprises a cylinder block having a plurality of cylinders for holding said powdered material, a discharge port for each of said cylinders, means for expelling powdered material from said cylinders through said discharge ports, slides adjustably mounted on said cylinder block, and means rotatably mounted on said slides for holding capsule elements in filling relation to said discharge ports.

5. A device for simultaneously filling a plurality of capsules with powdered material which comprises a dispensing block having a plurality of powder discharge ports in one face thereof, means for expelling powdered material through said discharge ports, a pair of parallel slides adjustably mounted on said dispensing block, and means rotatably mounted between said slides for holding capsule elements in filling relation to said discharge ports.

VINCENT B. NORELLI. 

